What I Want To Read This Summer

I will keep you posted about my top four choices here. Leave me a post if you have read any of these and have an opinion to share! Happy Reading!

Next 8th grade Book Club Book: Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Bronte and Tennyson are the fraternal twins (one boy/one girl) of two college English professors. Each chapter is titled with a new vocabulary word that their parents have drilled into them which set the tone for the readings. I, personally, love the vocab words! Bronte and Tennyson are distraught with their home life as they watch their parents relationship deteriorate, but things get even more tense when Bronte becomes romantically interested in a local boy everyone calls Bruiser. He is not an overly friendly young man, nor is he especially handsome, or even hygienic. He is named Bruiser for his hulking figure, but he also has unexplainable bruises and scars on much of his body. Bruiser mostly keeps to himself because for him it's dangerous to care about others.

You as a reader discover along with Bronte and Tennyson that Bruiser has a special gift that comforts those he loves, but ultimately brings him harm. Bronte see through all of Bruiser's tough exterior and he becomes entwined in her life and in that of her protective brother Tennyson. While Bruiser finds love and friendship, Bronte and Tennyson discover Bruiser's special gift to them. This is a fast paced book with chapters written in the alternating voices of Bronte, Tennyson, and in the poetic verse of Bruiser.

I loved this book, but was also disturbed by some of the sequences concerning Bruiser's violent uncle and guardian. So be forewarned some of those scenes are not for the faint of heart and are a little uncomfortable to read. But overall, I loved this book, even those few uncomfortable pages made this book a whole experience. I laughed, cried, and bit my nails while reading this book. It brought out so many emotions and thoughts about love and the sacrifices we make for those we love. This is a book that leaves you thinking and debating long after you have closed the last chapter. This is one of the best books of 2010 and a must read for all of you!

Trapped by Michael Northrop

"The day the blizzard started no one knew that it was going to snow for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of staying warm, but of staying alive." - Trapped by Michael Northrop.



This is a great novel for those looking for a quick winter read, and it is especially appropriate given our current weather pattern! The story centers on narrator Scotty Weams, an athletic sophomore, and his two best friends as they attempt to survive a seven day blizzard "trapped" in their high school. The boys stay late after an early snow dismissal and find themselves, along with four other students, without a way to get home. The situation isn't too bad at first, but the power goes out, then the heat, and the roof begins to sag with the weight of all that snow, and there is no way out with snow reaching to the second story windows. They are literally "trapped" and have to work together to survive.
I enjoyed this novel; it had a great premise. The idea of being stuck at school and being able to raid the cafeteria, roam the halls, and basically do what you want in a building that is normally full of rules and those who enforce the rules. I think I romanticized the idea of this (made it sound better than it actually would be in real life) because the kids in this novel never really do that. They do raid the cafe and they go sit in their English classroom, but they don't really raid anything or take advantage of the opportunity. Instead these kids were really level headed and mostly concerned with their safety and survival. I was impressed with their discipline. Trust me this is no Lord of the Flies. ; even though, they don't all get along, these kids work well together for the most part. Even during a climactic scene, only one character really loses his cool and the others are there to set things right.
One of the techniques I liked about this novel was the way the author used the narrator, Scotty, to tell the story and drop hints of what was to come. We learn very early on that not everyone will make it and you keep guessing up until the end who and how... However, while the author uses foreshadowing, he did not neatly wrap things up in the end. You will probably have more questions at the end of the novel than you did at the start!

I have two copies in my room and I think Mr. Shaw has one, so see one of us to borrow and them come and talk with me about the ambiguous ending!

What did you think of the play A Christmas Carol?

On the last day of school before Christmas vacation, we thought it would be wonderful timing to have a professional acting company come into Bulger theater and perform A Christmas Carol. I truly hope we will enjoy this experience! I am so curious to hear your thoughts, so please share your opinions freely or answer some of the questions I have here.

- Did the play show your favorite scene from the book?
- Did the play depict the ghosts the way you thought they should look?
- Did the play change a lot of lines or did you hear some of the quotes we looked at during our reading?
-Did the play delete scenes that you wished they had kept?
-Did the play add any scenes that are not in the original version by Charles Dickens?
-Were there any scenes that you thought were better in the play or better in the book?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Literature Circle Assignment: F Block

For three weeks you have discussed your book in your literature circle groups, but for your final assignment, you will be working on your own. Please post a comment about the book you read for class. Post a brief paragraph of 50-100 words about what you liked about the book or didn't like. Be specific. Did you like the main character, did you like the conflict he had to deal with, did you like the style of how the book was written? Be sure to explain why. If you didn't like something about the book, please explain that too. Don't give away the entire plot of the story or too many secrets, but tell enough so that it will inspire someone else to pick up this book or not. All F Block students should post a comment by Wednesday, November 10th.

Literature Circle Assignment: E Block

For three weeks you have discussed your book in your literature circle groups, but for your final assignment, you will be working on your own. Please post a comment about the book you read for class. Post a brief paragraph of 50-100 words about what you liked about the book or didn't like. Be specific. Did you like the main character, did you like the conflict he had to deal with, did you like the style of how the book was written? Be sure to explain why. If you didn't like something about the book, please explain that too. Don't give away the entire plot of the story or too many secrets, but tell enough so that it will inspire someone else to pick up this book or not. All E Block students should post a comment by Wednesday, November 10th.

Finally Here!

I pre-ordered my copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and it arrived today while I was setting up my classroom! I haven't been this excited about a book coming out since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! If it's as good as I hope, I should be done with it soon and will write a review. Until then, hope you are getting your copies. Happy reading!

If you're interested in meeting Suzanne Collins, she will be signing books in Braintree this coming Monday.

Borders Book Store:Special Event
Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)

Monday, August 30, 2010 • 7:00 PM
>>Borders – Braintree
255 Grossman Drive | Braintree, MA | 781.356.5111